Arthur's Fifth Birthday
by Cat Francis
Summary: Five-year-old Arthur Schappey wants to go to the zoo for is birthday. He wants to see the polar bears, but he may get more out of the bargain that he hoped for. (Sherlock crossover)
1. Part 1

"Dad, can we go to the zoo today? For my birthday?" Arthur clambered up onto the chair to eat his morning breakfast of cereal without milk.

"Not a chance, old boy." Gordon said from behind his newspaper. "I don't have the time or the energy to cart you around some bloody awfully zoo to look at boring old animals. Why not go out in the garden? There are lots of animals out there."

"But I want to see polar bears, dad. There aren't polar bears in the garden." Arthur replied through spoonfuls of the dry cereal.

"No, there aren't. And don't talk with your mouth full. It's disgusting." Still, Gordon did not put down his newspaper to look at his son.

"Gordon, it might not be such a terrible idea. It's not every day that little boys turn five." Carolyn called from the hallway where she was dusting.

"And it's not every year that little boys have to repeat nursery school. I mean, he's five years old and he can't read a word. He can't even count to twenty on his own. I don't know what he would get out of a trip to the zoo, besides money out of me." Here Gordon finally put down his paper to ruffle his son's hair. "You are a stupid little boy, aren't you?"

"I guess I a-..." Arthur started to say into his cereal bowl when Carolyn came rushing back into the dining room.

"Don't you listen to your father, Arthur. Now finish your cereal." Carolyn turned on her husband. "And do you honestly think you're going to help him by telling him that?"

"Are you saying you think he's a genius?" Gordon's voice was soft with anger.

"Really mum, it's okay. I know we're just joking, dad and I." Arthur said with a small smile.

"If you think that, son, then you're stupider than I thought. And that's saying something." Gordon went back to his paper and Arthur looked up at Carolyn.

"Please don't cry mum. Really, it's alright." Arthur stood up on the stool and hugged her around her neck.

"Arthur," she whispered into his ear. He tried not to giggle, but it tickled. "I don't want to you to listen to anything your father says, alright?" She took his face in her hands and looked straight into his wide eyes. "Listen to me. You. Are. Brilliant. And one day, you're dad's going to see it. Got it?"

"Yes mum."

"Good boy. Now go play."

Arthur jumped down from the stool, started to run towards his play room, slipped on the hardwood floor because of his new socks, scrambled up again and ran out of the room, singing softly to himself.

Carolyn smiled a sad smile. He wasn't the brightest boy, but he was a sweetie, and she believed that a good heart counted for a lot more than brains.


	2. Part 2

"I think we should at least try to do something nice to for his birthday, Gordon." Carolyn said as she took Arthur's spot at the table. Gordon was still reading his paper.

"Really, Carolyn." Gordon scoffed. "The boy is five years old. It's not like he's going to remember what do now. Maybe next year. Besides, thank goodness for me, I've got a job this afternoon. Flying a rather belligerent old cod named Birling to the Six Nations Rugby Final, where he will proceed to get horribly drunk and pay me an enormous amount of money."

"So...what you're saying is that you'd rather spend the day carting around an old drunk than with your five year old son, whom you barely talk to anyway?" Carolyn had never been more disgusted by her husband than this moment.

"An old, _very rich_, drunk." Gordon corrected. "And yes. That is _exactly_ what I am saying. Besides, if I remember correctly, you're the one who wanted the big house and the fancy furniture. Well, Mr. Birling is the one who pays for it all. So, ya see, I have to go to work today."

Carolyn felt her insides contract at his words. She felt sick; she was the one who had wanted a fancy house and expensive furniture, she hated the way that Gordon always managed to twist things to make her look like the bad guy. And the worst part was...she was beginning to think he was right. She took a deep breath and steadied herself.

"And if I remember correctly, you were the one who wanted a child. More specifically, a son. Now you've got him and you hardly ever bother about him."

"I did want a son. A _son_. Not an idiot boy who trips over his own feet and runs into walls when he gets over excited." Gordon folded up his paper and smiled at his wife. "And now, darlin', I'm off to get ready to go to work to pay for your fancy clothes." He kissed her cheek as he went out of the room, but she stiffened at his touch. Once he was gone, she hastily rubbed the slime from her face.

She sat at the table, trying to decide what to do, all the while she could hear Gordon moving about upstairs. Carolyn wanted to do something special for her precious little boy on his birthday, but Gordon would surely find out. He handled all of the money.

A short while later, she heard Gordon's voice from the hallway.

"Well Carolyn, I'm off. Try not to let the boy run into any more walls. I haven't fixed the hole from the last time, yet." Carolyn was silent, but she heard Arthur's footsteps pounding down from his playroom at the sound of his father's voice.

"Dad, wait! I drew you a picture!" Arthur's little voice called as he ran.

"And time to go." Gordon slipped out of the door just as Arthur reach the hall.

"Dad! Dad!"

"I'm sorry, dear. He had to leave quickly – he was late." Carolyn hated lying for Gordon, but she hated Arthur being sad more. Telling him that his dad had left to avoid his son would make him very sad indeed. "Can I see the picture?"

Arthur was sad for a moment and his eyes lost their shine for a moment, but then he was himself again and proudly handed the piece of construction paper to his mother.

"See, that's dad and you, mum, and that's me. And we're at the zoo with the polar bears for my birthday. And we're all wearing birthday hats. And there's cake and everything."

And then Carolyn remembered the money that she had been sent by her mother for Arthur's birthday. She knew that Gordon was rather stingy, despite his wealth, and wanted Carolyn do something nice for her boy.

"Arthur?" Carolyn whispered past the lump in her throat.

"Yes mum?"

"Would you like to go to the zoo for your birthday?"

Arthur's eyes grew wide and shiny. "Really mum? But didn't dad say we couldn't?"

"He did. But he's not here right now. I am. And I say that we're going to zoo."


	3. Part 3

"Are we going to get to see the polar bears, mum?" Arthur begged his mother, pulling her forward into the zoo. "Please! Please! We have to see the polar bears first."

"Alright, alright, Arthur. We'll get there, I promise." Carolyn smiled at her young son's enthusiasm and eternal cheerfulness.

"C'mon mum!" He was tugging at her hand now. He might've only been five years old, but he was strong.

"Yes, hold on. I just have to find it on the map..."

Arthur didn't understand why his mother was wasting time. The polar bears were waiting and he knew that it wouldn't be long before they would have to go back home...but Arthur didn't want to think about home. Home was a bad place. But the zoo was fun; there were polar bears here. There weren't polar bears at home. But they were here. So, here was where Arthur wanted to be.

"Can't we just go, Mycroft? I mean, I'm sure they'll have signs posted around."

Arthur turned around and there was another little boy standing not too far away, with an older boy who was also unfolding a map.

"Yes, Sherlock, just hold on a moment." The older boy replied. Arthur felt bad for the little boy because he probably really liked otters.

"Hello." Arthur said cheerfully, wandering a little away from where his mother was still trying to figure out the map of the zoo. "I'm Arthur. I'm five."

"I'm Sherlock. I'm six. I can read. That's my brother, Mycroft. He's eleven."

"Wow!" Arthur smiled. "You can read? What do those signs say, over there?"

"The first one, at the top, says 'Giraffes' and the other one says 'Lions'." Sherlock said proudly, always happy to have someone to show off to. "Can't you read?"

"No. I'm learning in nursery."

"Aren't you too old for nursery?"

"No. I think they just like me and wanted to keep seeing me for another year."

"Are you stupid?" Sherlock asked. He wasn't trying to be mean, he was curious.

"No. I...I just...I'm..." Arthur stammered. The question reminded him of his dad. But he didn't want to think about his dad. He wanted to think about polar bears. "I know lots about polar bears. I came to see them for my birthday."

"Like what?" Sherlock was, once again, simply curious. Plus he felt a little bit bad for Arthur. Maybe he shouldn't have asked him if he was stupid.

"Like...I know they live the Arctic. Mum told me that. And...I know that they're favourite supper is seals. I saw that on tv." Arthur smiled. He liked having someone to listen to the things that he knew about bears.

"Really? Otters' favourite suppers are fish and frogs and some other stuff. I read that in a magazine."

"Wow! You are brilliant."

"I know. I wish we could go those otters. Mycroft is never going to figure it out." Both Arthur and Sherlock turned to look at the older boy. He was chatting away on a mobile. "He wouldn't even notice if I was gone. Let's just go, Arthur. I bet your mum wouldn't notice either."

"I want to, Sherlock, I really, really do. But...I think she might in a lot of trouble for bringing me here, so I think I'll stay with her."

"Why would she get in trouble? She's a grown up. They don't get in trouble for stuff."

"My dad did say that I wasn't allowed to go, this morning. And I think he might be really mad with my mum for taking me anyway. My dad isn't...He gets really loud and scary sometimes."

"My dad gets scary too. That's why we came to the zoo today. He looked like he was going to be mad. His face was red and he was shaking."

"Ah, there we go. Arthur!" Carolyn called to her son, finally having figured out the map of the zoo.

"Coming mum!" He replied. "Bye, Sherlock. I'm sorry you have a scary dad too. I hope the otters make you feel better."

"Bye Arthur. I hope the polar bears make you feel better too."

They smiled at each other, and Arthur went back to his mother, Sherlock went back to tugging on Mycroft's sleeve. Arthur took his mother's hand, but something made him look back.

He saw Sherlock standing beside his brother, who seemed to take no notice of him at all, and continued to talk on the mobile. Sherlock looked sad.

"Mum?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Could that boy come with us too? He looks really sad." Arthur pointed to Sherlock.

"Have you made a friend?"

"I have. His name is Sherlock. He's six. He likes otters. That's his brother, Mycroft."

"Oh I suppose. But ask his brother first. I don't want to be arrested for kidnapping a child."

"Thanks mum!" Arthur trotted off, back to his new friend. "Sherlock? Mum and me were wondering if you want to come see the otters with us."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It would be fun. And I can tell you about polar bears, and then you can tell me about the stuff that you read in that magazine about otters."

"I'd like that."

"Mum says you have to ask your brother first, though."

"Mycroft? Can I go with Arthur and his mum to see the otters and the polar bears?"

"Yes, alright, just be back here in half an hour."

"Hooray!" Arthur cheered and they walked back to where Carolyn was waiting. "Mum, this is Sherlock. The boy I was telling you about. He likes otters."

"Yes, hello there young man."

"Hello. I can read."

"Oh you can? How lovely for you. Now, I believe there are some otters and some polar bears waiting to be looked at by you two."

They set off for the right area of the zoo. Carolyn smiled at the two boys chatting away in front of her. Even if Gordon wasn't here to see it (and she was glad he wasn't), it was very clear that there was nothing stupid about Arthur. She was finally able to feel justified in her assertion that a good heart will always be worth more than brains.


End file.
